XCfun wrote:Was the ILH and OIA race run this past weekend at CORP the same course that the kids will be running on Thursday at the State Meet?

Also, is the distance 3 miles and is the course considered to be a fast one?

This is a measured 3 mile course ... not a fast course at all ... a bit more challenging than Kualoa Ranch is the best way for me to describe, based on available data from this past season ... would most of you agree?

The distance should be the same as the old course. The difference is that the extension of the 1st loop from point "C" to point "D" on the old map was removed and other parts of the course were extended to make up the difference. I think the times at the ILH and OIA Champs are a little slower partly because you lose the longer straight from the old extension where you are able to pick up momentum, much like the long downhill straight at the OIA Waialua course that contributes to faster times. Also, the make up extensions on the other portions of the course are added to the 2 final loops, so they don't add any significant distance to any of the straights, and are on uphill portions before a turns (the first turn after running around the back part of the field where the starting line is, and the top of the baseball field hill), so there is no chance to build momentum in the pace.
I would agree that it is a more challenging course, so previous times run at CORP would not compare equally with the course run at ILH and OIA Championships.

I concur with the course length assessments, but even with the downhill, the OIA Waialua course was still a little short (although they did try to lengthen it for the JV meet by moving the start back and extending the finish).

The start of the Waialua was not changed at all. It was the same start as the western. The Waialua course is 3 miles if you follow the white line. The problem was that "anywhere on the roads" was considered free game. So runners hugged the curbs as they ran, making the times really fast.

Well the last few days of the season are here, team wise on the girls side
Punahou should win by a close margin over HPA
But on the boys, I've looked at the results from CORP this past weekend, and if OIA and ILH ran together, Kam, would have beat Leilehua by 1point.
Those are the two front runners for the title, I'm just undecided on who to pick.
Any other views???

Girls:
Punahou hands down. They absolutely dominated the ILH. At champs, had Julia Brand not been DQ'd for running with the wrong number, Punahou would have had 1-4-6-7-8. When combined with the OIA, it would have been 1-5-9-11-(12/13/14). Fantastic. Plus, if I understand correctly, they are substituting in the top 2 JV finishers, who happen to rank 7 and 14 on the top 25 at CORP list. While HPA is without a doubt good, they are nowhere near Punahou's level. Also, Seabury has posted some fast times. However, I still think Punahou is way beyond them. Barring a bad race from multiple girls, the team race shouldn't even be close on the girls side.
1) Punahou 2) Seabury 3) HPA

Boys:
Complete tossup. With a likely front pack of Martinez, Thibodeau, and Murphy (who does not score), the two teams match up their first runner well. Second, Akiona of Kamehameha matches up very well with Estrata of Leilehua (1 second difference, though Estrata really was front-running). Leilehua's 3 beats Kamehameha's 3 by just as much as Kamehameha's 4 beats Leilehua's 4. Their 5th runners are only 4 seconds apart.
These match-ups are so close, it is impossible to tell which one is better at the moment. Comparing times across races proves insignificant differences between the two.

I also see a close matchup between Iolani and Honokaa for third. Iolani beat Honokaa on the Big Island, but Iolani also looked weak this past weekend. It will really come down to who makes the least mistakes between these two teams.

My vote at this moment:
1) Kamehameha 2) Leilehua 3) Honokaa
I put Kamehameha over Leilehua because Kam's 4 is before Leilehua's 4 in past results. Between them, it is more likely for more scoring runners to go between them than it is for Kam's 3 and Leilehua's 3, giving Kam the slight advantage. I also think Iolani has been inconsistent as of late. However, if Borys Pleskacz is healthy and running, I would put Iolani ahead. Can anyone confirm his status?